Summer offers the perfect opportunity to tidy up the garden, embark on an outdoor DIY project, and add colour to borders with beautiful plants like the tropical bougainvillea plant.
A stunning evergreen flowering vine with thorny, branching stems, the bougainvillea is native to South America, but also grows in Mediterranean countries like Greece. Technically a tropical plant, it thrives in warmer climates and is not frost-tolerant.
‘It’s best to grow bougainvillea in a container indoors if you live in most parts of the UK, as our winters are too cold for it to survive outside,’ says Julian Palphramand, Head of Plants at British Garden Centres.
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That said, you can still grow this vibrant plant outside as long as you take the necessary precautions.
‘You can try it in a sheltered, sunny position outdoors in a mild UK climate, though you’ll still need to protect it in harsh weather. Indoors, a conservatory or bright room works, and you’ll want to give it something to climb up, like a trellis,’ Julian continues.
Once established, however, bougainvillea is very resilient and can tolerate poor soil, heat, and drought, largely thanks to its South American origins. It looks beautiful climbing trellises or sitting as a shrub or tree.
To ensure your evergreen bougainvillea thrives and lives a healthy life, keep reading to find care tips and cold-weather strategies from UK-based plant experts.
How to care for a bougainvillea plant
Whether planted in the ground or a container, bougainvillea is not necessarily a fussy plant, but it does need certain conditions to grow.
‘Bougainvilleas are sun-loving showstoppers that thrive on a little tough love,’ says Hayden Salt, garden centre manager at Jacksons Nurseries. ‘They bloom better when slightly stressed, which means holding back on watering and avoiding overly rich soil.’
Sunlight
Bougainvillea requires full sun; this tropical beauty will not bloom in partial shade or shady conditions.
‘Bougainvilleas love sun – and I mean full, baking sun,’ says Hayden. ‘To really flourish, they need at least five hours of direct sunlight a day.’
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Water
These plants don’t like to be soggy. If yours is planted in the ground, make sure it’s located in a well-draining area. Your bougainvillea will need to be watered deeply and frequently when first planted, but once established, it will be drought-tolerant.
‘Allow the soil to dry out almost completely between waterings in warm months, and water sparingly during winter,’ advises Julian.
Fertiliser
The best time to start feeding your bougainvillea is from mid-spring, using a high-nitrogen fertiliser and switching to tomato feed once you notice colour in the bracts.
However, as Hayden stresses, ‘avoid feeding too generously, as this can encourage leafy growth at the expense of flowers. The colourful display is actually from papery bracts, not the true flowers, and these only appear when the plant feels just the right level of stress.’
Where to plant bougainvillea
This stunning vine can be trained to climb trellises or garden arbors, but it can also be used as a ground cover in sunny spots. Training them over fences to create a living privacy screen is a viable option, too.
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‘If you’re growing bougainvillea outside, choose the sunniest, most sheltered spot you’ve got – ideally against a south-facing wall where it’s protected from wind and can soak up warmth,’ says Hayden. ‘In coastal areas or milder parts of the UK, it might survive outdoors year-round, but always have fleece or cloches on standby in colder snaps,’ he continues.
Raised beds or slopes are good options for planting locations, as they ensure the plant will have proper drainage.
How to grow bougainvillea in a pot
While the experts recommend growing this tropical beauty in a container, you can also use a pot (‘a terracotta pot works brilliantly as it keeps roots warm and allows air flow,’ says Hayden) – just make sure it’s big and has plenty of drainage holes. Additionally, you can put some gravel at the bottom to prevent waterlogging.
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As for the soil, ‘Fill it with good multipurpose or slightly acidic compost,’ he says. ‘Every few years, as it fills out its pot, repot it into a slightly bigger one to avoid it becoming root-bound.’
A trellis is also a good idea for support, especially if you’re keeping the plant outdoors long-term and anticipate it growing large. When it comes to watering, again, pay close attention to moisture levels.
How to overwinter bougainvillea
Being tropical plants, bougainvilleas don’t tolerate frost. ‘Ideally, your bougainvillea shouldn’t be exposed to temperatures below 10°C,’ advises Nick Wood, horticulturalist at GardeningExpress.
This is where pots and containers come in handy, as they let you bring your bougainvillea inside. (If you’ve planted it in the ground, Nick recommends covering it with a sheet and hoping for the best.) But even indoors, you still need to make sure the plant gets enough sunlight. ‘Put it in the brightest place you have, like a sunny windowsill, conservatory or greenhouse,’ says Julian.
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Bougainvilleas need less moisture in winter, so water the plant sparingly during this time, only topping it up when the soil feels dry well below the surface.
Don’t be alarmed if you notice that your plant is dropping some leaves – bougainvilleas tend to become more dormant during the winter, the experts say. As for fertiliser, ‘stop feeding the plant until you spot new growth in spring,’ Julian advises. ‘Try to keep the temperature steady and above 10°C at night so the plant doesn’t get stressed by sudden chills.’
According to the Royal Horticultural Society (RHS), regulating the temperature like this can help avoid leaf drop during the cold season.
How to prune a bougainvillea plant
Trimming and cutting back is a key part of caring for a bougainvillea. ‘Pruning is essential for keeping bougainvilleas compact and blooming well. Don’t be afraid to be bold – bougainvillea flowers on new wood, so trimming it back is actually what triggers more blooms,’ Hayden explains.
The right time to prune is towards late winter and early spring, just before the new growth begins, says Nick. ‘Trim back any dead or straggly branches, and shape the plant as needed,’ he adds, also stressing the importance of being vigorous. ‘Don’t be afraid to cut it back quite hard as Bougainvillea is a vigorous grower and responds well to pruning.’
A word of caution: some types of bougainvillea have sharp thorns. It’s advisable to wear gloves when handling this plant, as its thorns can cause serious damage if you’re not protected. There are, however, newer cultivars that are thornless.
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Common disease and pest issues
Bougainvillea plants are generally disease-free, but they can experience root rot and fungal diseases caused by overwatering.
The plant may be attacked by whiteflies, mealybugs, aphids, and red spider mites, which can hamper new bougainvillea growth.
To remove aphids, blast them off with a garden hose or use a horticultural oil or insecticidal soap. Mealybugs are easy to spot because they have waxy, white, oval-shaped bodies; the easiest way to handle them is to prune off the affected shoots.
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Wanda Sachs is the Daily Writer for House Beautiful and Country Living, exploring the latest in interior design, home trends, property news, wellbeing and sustainable living. With a keen eye for style and a passion for storytelling, she previously served as an Associate Editor at The Berliner in Berlin, where she launched and led the magazine’s monthly style vertical, covering emerging fashion trends. Wanda holds a combined BA in English and German from Goethe University Frankfurt.
Arricca Elin SanSone is a writer, editor, and content creator who specializes in lifestyle and gardening. With a background in health reporting, she applies these same research skills when writing about the science of growing things. She trials new plants in her expansive garden, and her houseplant collection consists of 60+ varieties. Arricca has written thousands of articles for publications such as Country Living, House Beautiful, Good Housekeeping, Prevention, VERANDA, Southern Living, and more. She’s happiest when digging in the dirt, baking, or spending time with the people and dogs she loves.